2013 French erotic thriller kicks up the sexiness and the thrills in this week’s edition of Two Cents
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to cinapse.twocents@gmail.com.
The Pick:
Stranger by the Lake takes place over the course of roughly a week, largely in the single location of a nude beach, which serves as a popular cruising spot. The men come to the beach to swim, sunbathe, people watch, and have sex. The film follows Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) and his visits to the beach. One night he sees two men swimming together in the lake. He can’t hear what they’re talking about, but as Franck watches, one of the men drowns the other and nonchalantly swims back to shore. Complicating matters is Franck’s attraction to the killer. What starts as slow-burn comes to a roiling boil as Franck is caught between his desires and his repulsion. It’s a fascinating film, punctuated by sly bits of humor and a growing sense of menace. The timing of this week’s column coincides with the New York TImes releasing their sprawling list of the best movies since 2000, including numerous contributions from filmmakers of all stripes. None other than everyone’s favorite, Bong Joon-Ho has Stranger by the Lake on his ballot. If it’s good enough for Director Bong, it’s certainly good enough for the rest of us.
The Team
Justin Harlan
I must admit I’ve cheated and read everything that Ed and Eddie had to say before writing my blurb and I think most of my thoughts are already covered by these two fine gentlemen. However, it’s important to drive home just how much dong is in this movie. There’s a running joke in our Cinapse chats about my thoughts on A24 movies and the seeming need for the production house to feature dude’s phalluses prominently in their thrillers, dramas, and horrors. In the case of this Queer Palm winning film, it feels like a truly missed opportunity for the arthouse genre outfit, as they should have swooped in to release this gem.
Outside of the dong (and, related, the unsimulated sex in this film), this is a genuinely sexy and potent thriller. Fantastic acting, a solid script, and genuine thrills about. While I am generally one who prefers watching straight sexual encounters due to me personal predilections, I can appreciate the lustful and passionate sex scenes here a great deal. They are steamy, well shot, and… as noted above… often unsimulated. Anyone denying the film’s well executed eroticism is lying to themselves.
In other words, this is a film that’s been on my list awhile, but I was happy to have a great excuse to finally cross it off the list. Great selection and a nice change of pace in this month’s diverse group of selections.
Ed Travis
Wildly unlike the kinds of movies I would normally find myself watching, Stranger By The Lake none the less engrossed me with its intentionality and authenticity, even if I’m not entirely sure what to make of this beguiling tale. Writer/Director Alain Guiraudie crafted a confident, queer, erotic thriller that pushes boundaries, keeps you guessing, and ultimately leaves you hanging just a bit. Never once leaving the single location of its lakeside cruising spot, and without a single detectible note of a musical score, Guidaudie absolutely immerses us in the French summertime of its characters. And for sheltered, straight ole me, it was very immersive in terms of the sounds and sights of tastefully but explicitly shot gay sex. The explicit nature of the film, though, is crucial to its straighforward story, in terms of plot, though the complexity of the humans involved in its plot. Somewhat spoilery from here, I will say that our lead character, the handsome, vulnerable, kindhearted Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) straight up watches his crush, Michel (Christophe Paou), drown a young man in the lake and drive away. And yet… Franck is still going to take his chances, and embarks on a torrid affair with Michel, who doesn’t know that Franck witnessed his violence. As the lazy days tick by, the body is discovered, and a detective starts asking questions. Our sun-drenched oasis of gay physicality keeps its vibes, Franck’s motivations get muddier, and Michel’s armor begins showing its kinks… I mean, chinks. A film loaded to bare with longing, physical connection, and secrets, Stranger By The Lake explores a community desperate to connect, amidst a supposedly safe paradise, but just as threatened by violence as any vulnerable community might be. As the film fades to black, Michel is absolutely unveiled as a villain, but Franck’s motivations, desires, and fate are left hazy, with audiences left to interpret for themselves what led Franck to the choices he made, and what the next chapters of his life will be.
Eddie Strait
Stranger by the Lake has been on my watchlist for over a decade. At this point I can’t remember what it was that caught my eye. Probably its placement on year-end lists, if I had to guess. Every once in a while the title would pop up somewhere and I’d say to myself, “I’ve been meaning to watch that. I need to stop putting it off,” only to promptly forget about it and chase newer, shinier films. Rinse and repeat an embarrassing number of times over the years. Stranger by the Lake was also the first title to pop into my head while the team spitballed ideas for this month’s columns and I’m thrilled to finally watch it.
Man, what a film. Alain Guiraudie’s direction immediately stands out. He favors long shots of languid conversation, quiet observation, and casually frank sex scenes. His camera, like most of the characters, never flinches. He allows for moments to breathe, for characters to sit in awkward silence, and to find the moments of connection they’re looking for.
The stranger by the lake ends up being Franck, Michel, Henri, and the viewers. In its way, the film functions as an indictment of voyeurism. Many reviews I perused threw around the “Hitchcockian” adjective freely, and this is the avenue where it is most clear. Voyeurism obviously comes into play during the sex scenes, with viewers watching people who have gone off into the woods for some privacy. Of course, there are also the random guys, and one in particular, waiting in the woods watching and waiting for their chance to join in. But where the film feels most intrusive is with its conversations. Particularly the talks between Franck and Henri. They’re the only pair at the beach where there is no chance of sex, and removing that tension allows their talks to be completely vulnerable emotionally. Indulging your physical desires is one thing, but to allow yourself to be as emotionally naked as Franck and Henri get is as impactful as any burst of sexuality or violence.
Two Cents Celebrates the month of June with Pride/Riot
Join us all month long for a collection of titles that spotlight the LGBTQ+ community with a mix of heart, edge, and defiance.
